According to a 2013 survey from insurance provider AIG, negative organizational culture is the number one barrier to patient safety in the healthcare industry. While preventable medical errors is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., it is also one of the highest expenses for healthcare providers –“half of every dollar spent on healthcare costs is related to a medical error,” said Emily Rinehart, a registered nurse and vice president and division manager for healthcare risk consulting at AIG.

There are three main ways company culture can impact patient safety:

• Staff buy-in – How committed is your workforce?
• Communication breakdown – Is your medical staff communicating patient care effectively?
• Compliance vs. commitment – Are you more interested taking disciplinary action or correcting the problem?

Learn how to improve patient safety through your people, culture, and overall message in our newest safety ebook, First, Do No Harm.